A light SW>3 with a misty start and rain a.m. with some sun mid morn. A very black afternoon with the sky like midnight putting everything into silhouette with light rain and a strengthening W>4.
Despite the conditions being birding acceptable things were very quiet today with the only sign of movement being a single Curlew very high and >W early morn. The only waders present were the usual Ringed Plover and 2 remaining Common Sandpiper each with 1 juv now flying so will soon be on their way.
Very few gulls today with just 15 LBBs both morning and afternoon whilst the 6 Black Headeds from yesterday mixed with them this morning, 2 of these being this years juvs.
Whilst it was quiet I did a round up of the geese with 2 pair of Greylag, one with 6 young and the other with just the 1 remaining after starting off with 3. All these goslings have just started flying short distances now whilst another adult Greylag is in with the Canadas along with 2 Barnacles.
A count of 373 Canadas out on the water this morning with around 40 mostly well grown goslings but very rarely allowed out onto the water, something I,ve never seen happen on previous years and can only put it down to the high gull presence which seems to be breaking up now.
The juv Ravens up there are starting to be a bit of a nuisance with 4 to 6 birds regular flushing everything in sight but I suspect shortly they will disperse to different areas.
Otherwise it was down to plenty Mipits, Swallows and Swifts. Where are the Common Scoters this year with only 1 fly through here and 1 male at Ringstone (DF). ?
BS